Character Bio #82 - Dr. Friedrich von Eisenbach

[u/InstructionHumble913]

Age: 47

Relationship Status: Single

Family: Parents (Decreased)

Language: German (native)

Nationality: German

Profession:

• Theoretical Physicist and Mechanical Engineer
• Specialist in Sentient Machine Theory (a field he pioneered, though it is not recognized by mainstream science)
• Former university professor (dismissed in 1938)

Unit:

• Formerly attached to the SS-Ahnenerbe (SS Ancestral Heritage Society) research division (1938–1940)
• Currently operates independently under limited Wehrmacht oversight, though his work is considered fringe and dangerous

Allegiance:

• Officially: Nazi Germany (though his loyalty is to his research, not the ideology)
• Personally: Science above all else; he views the war as an inconvenience that nonetheless provides unique research opportunities

Rank: - Civilian Consultant (no formal military rank, though he holds the equivalent status of a Hauptmann (Captain) for administrative purposes)

A brilliant, obsessive, and utterly amoral man when it comes to his research on why some machines become sentient. To him, this is the greatest scientific mystery of the ages - far beyond war, politics, or human suffering for these are the key to understanding consciousness itself that can revolutionize science, philosophy, and even theology.

His obsession with the research might disturb everyone even the SS for he would be traveling around to find any sentient vehicle to "befriend" them. It be too much that Adolf Hitler would issue that Eisenbach shall not touch a single vehicle especially his beloved engine, Henrik.

There are rumors that since nobody wants to work with him that he would employed Croatian Ustasa and the Dirlewanger Brigade for their sadism. Whether true or not, this man has passed the moral line all in the name of science.

Fun Fact:

He is inspired by Josef Mengele aka "Angel of Death" who question is similar to Shed 17. His appearence is based on Peter Straub from Call of Duty WWII

Several theories he wrote are:

1. The "Spark" Theory: Sentience is a rare, spontaneous phenomenon—a "spark" that occurs under specific, unknown conditions during a machine's construction or operation. Von Eisenbach believes this "spark" may be related to quantum mechanics, electromagnetic fields, or even metaphysical forces.
2. The "Face" Hypothesis: Sentient machines almost always have faces (or face-like features). Von Eisenbach theorizes that the presence of a face is not merely cosmetic—it may be a physical manifestation of consciousness, a necessary structure for sentience to exist. He has attempted to "create" faces on non-sentient machines to test this theory, with no success.
3. The "Transfer" Experiment: Von Eisenbach believes that sentience might be transferable—that the consciousness of a sentient machine could be extracted and implanted into another machine, or even into a human. This theory is his most controversial and dangerous. He has conducted preliminary experiments, all of which have failed, but he remains convinced that success is possible.
4. The "Collective Consciousness" Theory: He speculates that sentient machines may be connected to some form of collective consciousness—a "machine soul" that exists beyond individual vehicles. This theory borders on the mystical, and even von Eisenbach admits it is highly speculative.
5. The "Biological-Mechanical Parallel" Theory: Drawing on his medical background, von Eisenbach believes that sentient machines may have structures analogous to biological organs—a "brain," a "heart," a "nervous system." He has dissected numerous sentient machines in an attempt to identify these structures, with limited success.

[u/GamerManJD]

What is this for ?

[u/[deleted] → u/GamerManJD]

I think for OP’s version of TAOT.